Portable stove



B. W. TULLE;

PORTABLE sTovE Filed Jan. 29, 1940 June l 7, 1941.

2 Sheets-Sheet l TUGHY' "mmm ILL nu INVENTOR 'oyd W Tal/f3.

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ATTORNEY June 17, 1941. B W* TULLIS 2,246,080

PORTABLE STOVE Filed Jan. 29, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ATQRNEYPatentes im@ i7, 194i PORTABLE STOVE Boyd W. Tullis, Wichita, Kans.,assigner to The Coleman Lamp and 'Stove Company, Wichita,

Kans., a corporation of Kansas Application January 29, 1940, ASerial.No. 316,105

7 Claims.

'I'his invention relates to stoves, particularly to those of portabletype for general purposes and using a hydrocarbon fuel. Heatingappliances of this character are provided with a generator which, unlessaccurately aligned with its Bunsen, does not operate satisfactorily. Itis also difficult to maintain this alignment for the reason that suchstoves are usually subjected to rough handling.

It is, therefore, the principal objects of the present invention toprovide a strong, light weight, portable stove construction which iscapable of withstanding the buifeting about and rough handling to whichsuch stoves are subjected; to provide a portable stove of relativelyinexpensive construction and capable of rapid and accurate assembly; andto provide a novel grid construc-l tion forming a cage-like structurefor the protection of the burner and generator assembly, and acting incooperation with a sheet metal base plate to form a rigid supporttherefor.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a burner! and Bunsenunit so constructed that the air intake thereof is out of the directheat of the flame and inthe natural draft of air moving upwardly aboutthe sides of theV stove.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the invention, I haveprovided improved details of structure, the preferred form of which isillustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a stove constructed in accordance withthe present invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the upper part of the stove andshowing the fount in elevation.

Fig. 3 is a similar section taken at right angles to the sectionillustrated in Fig. 2, with the upper part of the fount being brokenaway to better illustrate connection of the fount with the generator.

Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the parts of the stove shown indisassembled spaced relation.

Fig. 5 is a section through the Bunsen on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

Referring more in detail to the drawings:

1 designates a portable stove constructed in accordance with the presentinvention and includes a A.fount 2 carrying a burnen and grid assembly3. The fount 2 is preferably of domelike shape and has a base portion 4and a crowned top 5 having a collar 6 encircling an opening 1. The top 5also has an annular shoulder 8 forming a seat for a spacing collar 9.The fount also has a ll opening iii normally closed by a cap M,

through which a liquid hydrocarbon fuel is poured into the fount anddischarged through a tube I2 under air pressure contained in the top ofthe fount. The fount therefore preferably includes a self-contained pumpunit designated I3 located on the side oppositethe ll opening.

Threaded into the opening l is a fitting I4 which carries the tube I2and forms a housing for a starting mechanism whereby an atomized mixtureis delivered to the burner for starting purposes, the starting mechanismbeing actuated by a rlever I5 extending laterally through an opening inthe spacing collar 9. The starting mechanism specifically forms no partof the present invention and may be of any conventional design.

The collar 9 preferably comprises a sheet metal ring having air inletopenings I6 in the side thereof through which air is admitted into asubstantially confined space or housing for the fitting I4. The loweredge of the collar seats iirmly on the shoulder 8 and is centeredthereby to support a base plate I1 on spaced extensions I 8 provided atthe upper edge of the collar to form air outlets I9 for discharge ofwarm air so that the top of the fount is adequately protected from theheat of the burner, later described.

The base plate Il preferably includes a sheet metal disk 20 having anIupwardly extending marginal flange 2I to form a shallow, pan-like memberadapted to catch drippings and the like, and to cooperate with a centralembossed portion 22 in enhancing rigidity of the plate. The base plateis anchored to the fount by bolts 23, having the Shanks thereofextending through openings 24 in the plate and into threaded sockets 25provided in the top of the fount at opposite diametrical sides of thefitting I4. The sockets 25 may be formed by attaching nuts to the fountso that the bolts rmly anchor the base plate and spacing collar to thefount at a plurality of points spaced radially from the axial center ofthe fount. I'he base plate is thus stably mounted and rigidly supportsthe grid later described, in such a manner that there is no strainplaced upon any of the fuel connections between the fount and thegenerator that might cause leaking thereof. For convenience, the side ofthe plate projecting over the ll opening Illmay be recessed as at 26 soas to facilitate filling 0f the fount. 'I'he spacing collar 9, being ofrelatively large diameter and firmly seated on the fount, provides arigid support for the base plate so that the plate may be constructed ofrelatively thin metal without affecting its rigidity.

The burner is best illustrated in Fig. 4 and preferably includes aunitary casting 21 and which includes a U-shaped Bunsen 26. having upperand lower duct-like arms 29 and 39, the upper ann 29 being of Venturishape and connected with a box-like mixing chamber 3| projectingupwardly from the lower arm 30. The side walls 32 and 33 thereof are ofsolid construction and connected by the iront and rear walls 34 and 35having aligning openings 36 and 31 therein. The opening 31 forms aconnection with the venturi in the arm 29, while the opening 36 in thefront wall is of adiameter to receive snugly the tip 38 of a generator39, later described. The rear wall terminates short of the upper edgesof the side walls to form an air inlet opening 40 to the mixing chamberand which is therefore directed away from the heat of the burner 4| thatis connected with the arm 30.

The top of the mixing chamber is closed by a channel-shaped cap 42,preferably formed of sheet metal and having sides 43 and 44 extendingdownwardly along the sides of the arm 29 to form side channels 45 and 46having connection over the top of the arm and communicating with the airinlet opening 40, the bottoms of the channels being closed by ribs 41and 48 extending laterally from the sides of the arm 29 as shown in Fig.5. The rear ends of the side channels are open and are located asuflicient distance away from the burner that the air intake issubstantially out of the heat zone of the burner but in the stream ofair moving upwardly at the sides of the stove so that there is a naturalcirculation of air through the channels into the mixing chamber of .theBunsen.

'I'he cap 42 is secured in position by a screw 49 extending through anopening in the forward end of the cap and into a threaded socket 5| thatis formed in a boss 52 on the forward wall of the mixing chamber.

The burner includes a shallow, bowl-shaped body 53 open at the top andhaving a sump-like chamber 54 in the bottom thereof communicatingthrough an elongated opening 55 with the duct in the arm 30, the ducthaving gradually flattening cross-section to provide full fiow capacityoi the venturi and at the same time reduce the overall height of theburner.

Supported circumferentially of the sump 54 is a tier of .alternately`arranged corrugated and plane rings 56 and 51 forming burner outlets 58.Seated on the upper ring is a closure plate 59 that closes the top ofthe sump and clampingly retains the rings, the closure plate beingretained by screws 6|) threaded into-bosses 6| formed at the side of thesump-like chamber 54.

'I'he arm 30 has an integral depending leg 62 cooperating with a similarleg 63 on a forward extension 64 of the burner casting to support theburner in spaced relation above the base plate and to form attachmentswhereby the burner assembly is secured to the base plate by screws 65extending through openings 66 in the base plate and into threadedsockets 61 provided in the legs 62 and 63 as best shown in Fig. 3. Inorder to enhance lateral stability of the burner unit, the leg 62 hasside wings 68 and69 with the lower end thereof engaging the top of theplate.

The generator 39 extends diametrically across the top of the burner inaxial registry with the Bunsen and carries at its forward end aregulating valve 10. The valve includes a substantially T-shaped bodyhaving one branch 1| connected with the generator tube by a union 12 andthe aligning branch 13 carrying a packing assembly 14 for sealing aboutthe stem 15 of theneedle member controlling outlet-of the generator tip.The stem 15 is threadedly supported in the body of the valve and isactuated by a knob 16. The other branch 11 of the valve body projectsdownwardly and has a shoulder 18 encircling a reduced threaded extension19. The extension 19 is received in a notch 60 that is formed in alaterally extending arm 8| of an upward extension 82 of the flange 2|,the lateral arm 6| being of suiilcient height to align the'front end ofthe generator with the opening 36 when the shoulder 16 is drawn intoclamping contact with the arm 8| by a jam-nut 63 which is threaded ontothe reduced extension 19. The extension 19 also forms a connection of aflexible duct 64 leading from the fitting I4 and which is connected withthe reduced extension 19 by a union 65.

In order to enhance the rigidity of the bracketlike support for ythevalve under torsional strains incidental to actuation of the knob 16,the arm 6|, including the extension portion 62 and ange 2|, are providedwith spaced ribs 66 and 81. These ribs also preferably extend into thebody portion of the base plate as shownat 68. The ribs therefore furtherenhance the rigidity of the bracket so that it supports the generatortube in proper entering relation with respect to the inlet of theBunsen.

The grid preferably includes a horizontal top 69 having a periphery 90formed by a wire bent into star-like shape, the points 9| of which formattachments for radially extending bars 92 having their inner endsterminating short of the center of the stove and interconnected by awirelike ring 93. Certain of the bars 92 have leg portions 94 extendinginwardly and then downwardly as at 95 to terminate in threaded ends 96mounting stop nuts 91. The threaded ends 96 of the legs 94 extendthrough openings 96 in the base plate and are provided with nuts 99cooperating with the nuts 91 to anchor the grid securely on the baseplate and cooperate therewith in providing a cage-like structureenclosing and protecting the parts of the burner including thegeneratoi` tube assembly. The grid structure including the leg portionsalso form a truss-like support, enhancing the rigidity of the plate sothat the plate accurately retains the burner and generator parts intheir proper alignment.

The arrangement whereby the generator and burner units are mounted onthe base plate permits use of a itting I4 having pipe threads so thatthe fitting may be tightened suillciently to prevent leakage from thetop of the fount without the use of gaskets, and the variable makeupincidental to the threads does not interfere with assembly of the stoveparts since the valve connections are supported by a part of the baseplate and connected with the fitting through the flexible duct 84.

When the burner is in operation air naturally moves from around thebottom of the stove upwardly along the sides thereof so that therelatively cool air is drawn through the air inlet openings and into themixing chamber for mixture with the vaporized fuel discharged from thegenerator. With this arrangement an adequate supply of air is providedto maintain proper combustion and operation of the burner.

From the foregoing it is obvious that I have provided an exceptionallystrong, rigid and light weight stove construction wherein the parts maybe accurately assembled and any variable make-I up incidental to thethreaded connection of the tting I4 is compensated for through theexible connection 84.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A stove of the character described including a fount, a base plate, aspacing collar seated on the fount and supporting the base plate to forma substantially enclosed air space below said base plate, meansanchoring the base plate and the spacing collar to the fount, a tting insaid space and having rigid connection with the fount, a burner havingrigid support on the base plate and provided with a Bunsen, a generatortube having a tip discharging into the Bunsen, means carried by theBunsen for centering the tip of the generator tube, a valve fixed to theopposite end of the generator tube, a bracket on the base platesupporting the valved end of the generator tube, means anchoring thegenerator tube to the bracket for maintaining the generator tube inaligning registry with the centering means, and a flexible ductconnecting the fount tting with the valve.

2. In a stove of the character described, a burner assembly including aBunsen comprising a substantially U-shaped member having one armconnected with the burner and the other arm forming a venturi, a mixingchamber connected with the venturi and having a closed side adjacent theburner provided with an opening registering with the venturi, saidmixing chamber having an air inlet on the opposite side and directedaway from the burner, and a generator tube having a discharge tipsupported in said opening and directed into the venturi.

A stove of the character described including a fount, a base plate, aspacing collar seated on the fount andsupporting the base plate to forma substantially enclosed air space below said base /plate, meansanchoring the base plate and the spacing collar to the fount, a tting insaid space and having threaded connection with the. fount, a burnerhaving rigid support upon the base plate and provided with a Bunsenagenerator tube having a tip discharging into the Bunsen, means rigidlymounting the generator tube on `the base plate to support said tip infixed alignment with the Bunsen, and a exible duct connecting the founttting with the valve to compensate for variable makeup in said fittingwith respect to its threaded connection with the fount.

4. In a stove of the character described, a burner assembly including aBunsen having a duct connected with the burner of said assembly, amixing chamber connected with the Bunsen and having a closed sideadjacent the burner provided with an opening, and a generator tubesupported in said opening, said mixing chamber having an air inlet onthe opposite side above the discharge from the generator tube.

5. In a stove of the character described, a burner assembly including aBunsen comprising a substantially U-shaped member having one armconnected with the burner and the other arm forming a venturi, and amixing chamber connected with the venturi and having a closed sideadjacent the burner provided with a generator opening registering withthe venturi, said mixing chamber having air channels on opposite sidesof the venturi and having inlets directed away from the burner.

6. In a stove of the character described, including a fount forming abase, a plate having fixed support on the fount and provided with aflanged marginal edge, a burner assembly having a fixed support upon theplate, said burner assembly including a Bunsen having a generator tubereceiving opening therein, a generator tube having a tip received insaid opening, a bracket on the plate formed as an upward extension ofsaid ange and having a laterally extending arm terminating in abifurcated portion, a valve having rigid connection with the generatortube and provided with a. shouldered threaded neck engaged in thebifurcation of said arm, a flexible tube connecting the threaded neck ofthe valve with the fount, and a Jam-nutthreaded on said neck for drawingthe shoulder of the valve into clamping engagement with the arm of thebracket, whereby the generator tube is supported in alignment withsaid'opening oi.' the Bunsen.

7. In a stove of the character described, a base member including afount and a plate having xed support on the fount, a fitting havingthreaded connection with the fount, a burner assembly having legs xed tothe plate for supporting said burner assembly above the plate, saidburner assembly including a unitary Bunsen having a generator tubesupporting opening therein, a generator tube having a tip supported insaid opening, a valve having rigid connection with the generator tube, abracket on the plate formed as with said valve.

1 BOYD W. TULLIS.

